SailGP Is the Fastest and Wildest Racing Circuit on the Water

I lean toward being a participant rather than a spectator. So, when I was invited to watch the SailGP Season 4 Grand Final in San Francisco this summer, I was on the proverbial fence. How exciting can it really be to observe other people racing—especially when they’re out on the water and you’re watching from shore? On a deceptively gusty July weekend in the Bay City, I got my eye-opening answer during one of the most intense and exciting high-octane races you could ever get instantly hooked on.

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SailGP—a portmanteau of “sailing” and “Grand Prix”—is a lot to unpack. The learning curve of what’s truly happening out there is at least as steep, intricate, and hyper-technical as the world’s fastest races on terra firma. But the bare analogy of “Formula 1 on the water” is a good starting point. SailGP’s high-tech F50 catamarans can reach speeds of up to 62 mph, which may not sound all that fast if you’re thinking car racing, ski racing, or wingsuit flying. On the water, with fierce currents, fickle winds, choppy waves, and multimillion-dollar boats jockeying for position on a tight course, it’s wildly speedy and just as unpredictable.

Flying into San Francisco International Airport on a relatively calm day, my first thought was: no wind. How the hell will there be a sailing race? It turns out that SailGP’s F50 catamarans are highly adaptable to a range of conditions. Each exorbitant vessel (worth somewhere in the $5 to $10 million range) uses towering 18- to 29-meter-tall sails that harness wind on even the calmest days. Equipped with giant masts that are highly visible to spectators, and hydrodynamic and aerodynamic hydrofoils that raise the hulls from the surface to reduce drag and increase speed, these boats appear to be literally flying over the water.

SailGP races are set in some of the most well-known harbors in the world—New York, Sydney, Auckland, Lake Geneva, Abu Dubai. This year’s Grand Final setting on San Francisco Marina Green, with its views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz—along with a nonstop stream of runners, cyclists, and scooters on the shore’s Bay Trail from Fort Mason to Presidio Park—is a scene like no other.

As I walk through the tight security at the SailGP entry gate, it feels like a portal into another world. Rather than the standard oversized T-shirt, baggy cargo shorts, and unflattering bucket hats favored by the Fisherman’s Wharf tourist crowd, or the skin-tight spandex sport attire standard for Bay Trail athletes, everything at SailGP trends toward collared white shirts, pleated khakis, long brimmed caps, boat shoes, and polarized sunglasses. Sailing has a rep for being an upscale sport—and, yes, here's your opportunity to pull out those polos, pastel linen shorts, preppy V-neck sweaters, and sun visors. But, really, there's no need to invest too much time and energy in nautical attire at this regatta—because all the attention at a SailGP race is on the action, which is incessant. 

Ten catamarans, with sails emblazoned with country flags and sponsor names, are zipping around the bay, amid a flurry of helicopters, drones, chase boats, and robotic buoys. It takes a moment to discern any rhyme or reason in what looks like complete chaos. For a wind-powered race, the scene is surprisingly loud and frenzied, with a dozen or more giant screens showing close-ups of the boats, race teams, highlights from previous races, overlay graphics like an NFL game on TV, and instant replays—all narrated by a well-versed announcer with high-energy commentary.

The best way to watch a race is by scoring a ride on a guest/VIP chase boat. You’ll get a visceral view of the action akin to courtside seats at an NBA game. As GC1 (Guest Chase Boat 1) driver Mark “Corky” Rhodes tells me, “crewing one of the F50 catamarans is like winning a golden ticket from Willy Wonka. But chasing the boats is a close second.” The chase boats are fast, highly maneuverable, and you feel the rush of the wind and splash of the spray. The front-row seat doesn’t come cheap, but you’re truly part of the action.

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There are numerous ways to watch the race from land. The courses in San Francisco Harbor extend from Alcatraz to the Golden Gate, with laps that cut a wide swath close to shoreline in front of the stands.

The most luxurious seats are in the Adrenaline Lounge tent. There, you rub elbows with the actual teams and other notable folks—those eliminated from the day’s races, backup crew, sponsors, owners, and a host of celebrities and enthusiastic race aficionados. Each team and sponsor has reserved tables, so you can check out who is there from Rolex, Team USA, Mubadala Investment Co., etc.

But even if you’re not in the Adrenaline Lounge, there’s no bad seat at the event. Bleachers, just feet from the dock, seat about 3,000 people—complete with concessionaires hawking snacks, beer, and canned cocktails. Beyond the official SailGP boundaries, throngs of overflow crowds are gathered along the coastline, furnished with coolers, picnic baskets, and more race weekend energy.

Live coverage from helicopters, chase boats, and drone footage keeps excitement high—peaking on the second day, when I’m grateful for my earplugs to dampen the loudspeakers. Both days feature three races, with the final a head-to-head sprint between the top two scorers for the $2 million grand prize.

Each race lasts a maximum of 16 minutes, so the action is fast-paced, with ample time in between to stretch your legs, grab some refreshments, and watch the crowds—which are as international as the race itself, with fans waving national flags and cheering on their favorite teams. A total of 10 teams represent the U.S., France, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain, Canada, Switzerland, and Germany in 13 events during the season. Next season, Brazil will be joining the league.

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The weekend’s wildest moment happens when the French team executes a dicey maneuver in a nail-biting bid to overtake Spain’s spot in the three-way Grand Final. Pinballing around the buoy and sideswiping the Rockwool Denmark boat, the French boat lurches up on one hull, nearly capsizing.

While the crowd holds its collective breath, giant screens flash close-ups of the crews battling for control.

What would the French crew have done if they’d tipped over? When I ask Quentin Delpapierre, Team France’s driver, that very question later, he shows me the oxygen reserve all crew members carry in case they’re trapped under the boat—and the knife on the front of his life vest, kept handy in case a crew member gets entangled in a safety tether.

In the final standings of the Grand Final, Spain takes the top spot, with Team Australia finishing second and New Zealand third. Suffering a damaged rudder, the French boat is unable to continue the race, dropping to a disappointing seventh in season standings.

Earlier in the season, during a practice day for the Bermuda race, the U.S. boat actually did capsize. The wing trimmer got his signals crossed and pushed the wrong button, inverting a wing and ejecting five of the six crew into the water. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt.

Taylor Canfield, the driver for the U.S. team—and a seven-time world champion in multiple sailing classes—tells me that while the F50 catamarans are “designed to be thrown around, every mistake can lead to dramatic consequences, like the Bermuda crash.”

“We got lucky there,” says Canfield. “These boats are incredible machines that throw G-forces at you several times during the race—and sometimes during high-speed turns it can feel like 3G. It’s adrenaline-pumping and reactionary sailing, and it definitely felt that much more dangerous after our capsize in Bermuda.”

One thing that’s obvious is that the crews of SailGP’s boats are all extremely fit. "The athleticism needed to sail these boats is incredibly high,” says Canfield, whose U.S. team is sponsored by Red Bull. “We’ve seen our crew lined up against other Red Bull athletes during benchmark tests, and we’re among the best. The intensity and constant change of speed, direction, and stability create an arena where the body needs to adapt, change, and be on high alert at all times."

To get an idea of the physical demands faced by SailGP crews, I posed a few questions to Olympic gold medalist and World Cup ski racing champion Lindsey Vonn, who is on the SailGP board of directors. As an ambassador with the Jaguar TCS Formula E racing team and a Formula 1 aficionado, Vonn has driven hot laps with both forms of race cars. At the NYC SailGP event, she was able to crew alongside Team USA’s grinder, Anna Weis, on a pre-race run.

“Anna’s role requires incredible physical strength and strategic thinking,” says Vonn. “I have so much respect for the precise coordination needed to operate and navigate these high-performance boats at breakneck speeds while avoiding collisions.

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“It's about strategy, teamwork, and constantly reacting to a dynamic situation on the water,” Vonn adds. “It's just a constant mental and physical chess match and adrenaline rush."

This weekend, it’s a rush shared by upwards of 4,500 attendants at the San Francisco Grand Final event. In a sport that has now garnered 157 million YouTube followers and a broadcast audience that’s pushing 200 million spectators, legions of SailGP fans are vicariously feeling the exhilaration.

As the F1 of sailing draws an increasing fanbase while inspiring new generations of sailors and showcasing the excitement of modern sailing, expectations are high. Season 5 will be the league’s most expansive yet, with 14 events held across five continents.

And while I may never get to ride along on an F50 catamaran, SailGP has inspired me to try my hand at the tiller of a smaller, more entry-level boat. In the long run, that ability to inspire and excite spectators is what SailGP is all about. I know I’m hooked.

SailGP’s 2024-2025 season will begin November 24, 2024, with the Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix. The season includes events in Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, and Auckland—as well as a return to Great Britain and New York.